Lakeland Christian Grad Signs With . . . Guardians

LAKELAND, FL —Plant City-native and recent Lakeland Christian School grad Jake Fox decided Friday that he would rather be a Guardian than a Gator.

The shortstop, a third-round pick (95th overall) by Cleveland on Day 2 of the MLB Draft on July 12, signed his first pro contract for $850,000, according to Cleveland.com. The "slot value" for a player in the third round is $610,800.

By making the decision to sign, Fox will forgo a college career. He had been committed to attend University of Florida.

"Glory to God! A dream come true!! Let's go win a World Series!!" Fox tweeted with a photo of his actual signing from the day before.

The Cleveland franchise announced Fox's signing the same day the team revealed it had changed its nickname. After 106 years as the Indians, the team will be known as the Guardians beginning at the end of this season.

The organization's baseball people appear to be fans of Fox, who hit .378, with three home runs, 22 RBIs and 32 stolen bases in 28 games for Lakeland Christian this past season, according to the Lakeland Ledger. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Fox also had a .906 fielding percentage.

Perfect Game had Fox listed as the No. 111 prospect and No. 32 shortstop in the class of 2021. He was the No. 11 overall prospect and No. 3 shortstop in Florida in the class.

Meanwhile, MLB.com ranked Fox as the No. 198 overall prospect (high school or college) heading into the draft.

"He's a good athlete," Lakeland Christian coach and former major leaguer Matt Diaz, told the Lakeland Ledger about Fox right after the draft. "He put his mind to baseball a couple of years ago over basketball, and that's probably what the pro scouts liked about him, his overall athleticism."

Writing for Indians BaseballInsider.com, Willie Hood said the lefty-hitting, righty-throwing Fox has played shortstop, but could be converted into a "solid offensive-oriented second baseman" in the pros.

"The Florida-native is an advanced bat with plate discipline," Hood wrote. "He has a quick bat which could eventually produce average line-drive power. He could develop into an offensive-oriented middle infielder with a good eye at the plate and a patient approach."

Hood continued: "As the season wore on, he got physically stronger (maturation), but still has just an average arm strength, leading to second-base projections. Fox is regarded as an instinctive player, making the most of his average toolset. Fox displays above-average speed on the bases and in the grass, potentially the best of his current tools."